


Solace in the Storm

by KiraHikaru



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25573198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiraHikaru/pseuds/KiraHikaru
Summary: When Kira's grandfather died, he left her a great treasure. As she starts a completely new path in life, she faces difficulties of leaving everything behind and memories of loss that haunt her. As such, she's not very open with her past, but there's a certain man in Pelican Town that may just be the key to getting through her defenses, just as she also breaks through his.
Relationships: Kira Hikaru/Sebastian
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

*bzzzt*

_“What was that?”_

*BZZZT*

_“Is that my phone?”_

***BZZZT***

“Alright, alright, I’m up!” She exclaimed, sleep still thick in her voice, “Ugh… What time is it?” She glanced at the clock; it read 2:30 am. She groaned and stretched over to the nightstand to pick up her phone. “Hello?” she managed to croak out. She heard a man clear his throat, _“Hello, is this Kira?”_ She hesitated; the voice wasn’t familiar. “…Who is this?” she asked.

_“My name is Harvey. I’m the local doctor here in Pelican Town. I apologize for calling so late, but I have some important news for you regarding your grandfather. He’s… Not doing well… He’s been asking for you. Do you think you--”_ his words were cut off. “Wait, back up. He’s not doing well? What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Her words were frantic, she wanted this to just be a bad dream. Harvey responded calmly, _“It would probably be best if you made a trip here to Stardew. He doesn’t seem to have much longer, but if you hurry… You may be able to tell him goodbye.”_

Her mind went blank. Goodbye? She thought back to her parent’s funeral. That was the last time she’d seen him. It was just shy of two years ago, and he seemed fine then, so what could have happened? Her thoughts were interrupted, _“Ma’am?”_ She snapped back to the conversation she was having, “S-sorry. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Was the bus to Stardew even running this late? She should have asked the doctor. “ _Whatever, I’ll just drive the whole way. I have a map.”_ She thought.

She rummaged through her nightstand, pushing various items out of the way. From the back of the drawer she pulled out an old map labeled “Zuzu City”. She opened it up, checking to see if Stardew Valley was on it. Just barely in the bottom right corner, she saw it. She slipped on her boots, grabbed her keys and coat, and was out of the door within seconds. Sitting in the driver seat of her car, her thoughts were racing. What if he dies? What in the world could have happened to him? What if she didn’t make it in time? “ _Well, surely I won’t if I just keep sitting here.”_ She thought. She started her car and pulled out of the driveway, racing down the street toward Stardew Valley.

“ _Just hang on grandpa. I’m coming.”_

***

Kira pulled up next to a bus; she’d made the drive from Zuzu City to Stardew in only 45 minutes. It had been a while, but she just barely remembered her way to the town center. Snow crunched under her boots as she walked past the bus and onto where the grass would be. Passing the fencing, she turned left and kept walking. The whole town was silent, not even the owls were hooting. She saw a light faintly spilling through a window from a small building and made her way over. The little sign read “ _Pelican Town Clinic – Hours: 9am-3pm”_.

She took a deep breath a rapped at the door quickly. There was silence at first, but she then heard footsteps coming to the door. The locks clicked and the door opened revealing a small waiting room and a young man; he looked exhausted. “Oh, good, you’re here. Kira, I presume?” he asked; you could hear the wariness in his voice. “Yes, now please, where is my grandfather?” she asked hurriedly.

“He’s in the back room in one of the beds, here, follow me.” He let Kira in and they walked through the small clinic. It smelled clean, but Kira didn’t like it. She loathed the smell of antiseptic and hated most medical settings since her parents passed. She was also nervous; she hadn’t even spoken to her grandfather since their funeral. What would he have to say? Would he be proud of her? But what reason would he have to be? She worked for Joja Corp., the most soul sucking place in the world. Sure, the benefits were okay, and it paid well, at least well enough that she could afford the house she was renting. But how could that muster pride?

Walking into the back room, she heard a labored, shallow breathing. Dr. Harvey drew back a curtain in front of a bed, and she finally saw him. He looked tired; his beard messed from not being combed out and his skin was had a pallor to it instead of the lively pink it normally was. He looked weathered from age. She approached his bedside and noticed he was resting. She looked to Dr. Harvey. “Should I wake him?” she asked in a hushed tone.

Harvey nodded his head in response. Kira sat in a chair that she pulled close to the bed. “Grandpa?” she whispered, taking his hand in hers. “Grandpa, can you hear me? It’s Kira.” He stirred slightly, scrunching his face a little, then opened his eyes. He looked directly at her, and a gentle smile formed on his lips. He squeezed her hand with what little strength he had. “Oh, Kira, you made it. I’m so glad to be able to see you once more before I go.” She could just barely hear a weakness in his voice, but he hid it well. Tears started to well in her eyes. “I’m just sorry it had to be like this, grandpa. What happened? Wh-why is this happening?” she asked.

He let out a soft sigh and brought his hand up and held the side of her head. “I’m old, Kira. It’s my time. But that’s okay, you’ll be okay.” He brought his hand back down. “Dr. Harvey? Could you bring me that envelope?” Harvey handed him a normal looking envelope, “I’ll take my leave now and give you two some privacy. I’ll be in the waiting room if you need anything."

As he exited the room, Kira was puzzled. What could that envelope be? What importance could it have right now? Her grandfather coughed and took a deep breath. “Kira, dear Kira, you make me so proud. And your parents would have also been so proud of you too. I’ve known for a while now that my time was coming. I’ve already determined a will with Dr. Harvey. But I wanted to do this part myself.” He sat up a little and adjusted himself.

“For my very special granddaughter: I want you to have this sealed envelope.” She went to open it, but her grandfather placed his hand on hers. “No, no, don’t open it yet… have patience. Now, listen close…” He cleared his throat, “There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my girl, you’ll be ready for this gift… Now, let grandpa rest…” he sounded much weaker than before.

She placed the envelope in her bag and helped him to lay back down; he closed his eyes. His breathing started to grow shallow again and slowed with each breath and subtly stopped. Reaching for his hand again, she found that he was already gone. Blinking away the tears the best she could, she walked out to the waiting room. Dr. Harvey glanced over and jumped to his feet when he saw her. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, his face was solemn, almost as if he’d known.

“Th-thank you for calling me when you did, Dr. Harvey. He’s… gone.” She choked out. He furrowed his brows and softly spoke, “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am. If you’d like, I’ll go take care of him and you can sit here in the lobby until I can find a place for you to sleep. It’s awfully late.” He managed a small smile; she could tell he meant well. “Thank you, but no. I don’t do well in medical settings. I’ll be fine, really. Besides, I have work tomorrow. Can’t be late.” She mustered up a smile of her own, and although she wanted nothing more than to sleep, she thanked the doctor yet again and made her way out and back to her car.

***

She pulled back into her driveway; the clock read 5 am. She dragged herself out of car and trudged through the door. Tears flowed like rivers on the way home, but it seemed now that she was cried out. She wanted to go to sleep, but she needed to be at work by 8. She settled for a long, hot shower and coffee afterwards.

Turning the knobs, she let the water warm up and disrobed. She assessed herself in the mirror. She was 5’7” with a tan complexion, wavy scarlet hair that came to about mid-back, and a lean build with an hourglass figure. She stepped closer to examine her face; freckles smattered her cheeks and nose, which had a sharp bridge that ran down to a small point. Her eyes were a golden amber set within a rounded almond shape. She had always looked more like her mother, but her eyes were definitely her fathers.

When the water was sufficiently hot, she stepped in and let her body be enveloped in the warmth. It felt nice after the cold and extremely emotional night she’d been through. She lathered the shampoo into her hair and rinsed it out, then massaged a generous amount of conditioner into it. She sat down in the shower and let the water pour out onto her back as she pulled her knees to her chest.

She had never quite felt so alone. Although she hadn’t seen her grandfather since her parent’s funeral, she’d tried to call him occasionally. Now she had no one. Her job at Joja Corp. didn’t allow for too much free time, and the idea of making friends with the other soulless coworkers didn’t sound very ideal. She sighed and leaned her head back to let the water rinse the conditioner from her hair. After rinsing, she moved back slightly and allowed the water to wash over her; she wasn’t really sure what to do. She didn’t want to think, so she let her mind wander aimlessly.

After sitting in the shower for about 30 minutes, she stood, washed her body off and stepped out. She wrapped up in a large towel and walked to her room. She had to decide what to wear, but it couldn’t be anything to flashy, as it was just a dull office job. She rifled through her closet and picked out a nicely tailored black, long sleeved button up and black slacks. It only felt fitting to wear all black considering everything that had happened. She got dressed, slipped on some black flats, wrapped her hair in a towel and went to the kitchen to brew her coffee.

She searched her cabinets for the bag of Joja brand coffee grounds. Finding it, she opened it and scooped out double the recommended amount of grounds. Although it was a dark roast, there was something about Joja brand products that always made them taste mediocre at best. Sure, it _smelled_ like coffee, but it seemed that no matter how it was brewed, it just tasted weak and somewhat burnt. As much as she didn’t like it though, she got free Joja coffee for working there, so that was less money she had to pay towards groceries. As it finished brewing, she poured off a cup and added a few heaping spoonfuls of sugar and some cream. It never fully cut the burned flavor, but it made it way more tolerable.

She gulped down her first mug and prepared a second one with what was left in the coffee maker. She went a sat on the couch and turned on the small tv, checking the weather. The weatherman said there would be no snow today, just a gloomy overcast all day. She let out a deep sigh, wondering just how long this day was going to feel. _“I should call that Dr. Harvey back and find out when a funeral will be held.”_ She thought. She finished off the second mug of coffee and went to find her phone. Fishing it out of her bag, she went to recent calls and dialed the most recent number to call her.

It rang a few times but was answered on the fourth ring, _“Hullo?”_ The voice was very groggy, she didn’t even think to check the time when she called. “Hello, sorry for calling at this early hour, this is Kira. Is this Dr. Harvey?” she asked, her tone apologetic. _“Yes, yes, no problem at all. How are you?”_ he asked, trying to hide the exhaustion in the voice. “As well as can be, I suppose…” her words drifted off slightly; she cleared her throat, “I was just calling to see if there were any funeral arrangements? I’d meant to ask last night, but with all that happened, it slipped my mind.”

Dr. Harvey was silent for a few moments, then took a sharp breath in, _“Ah yes, about that. Per your grandfather’s request, he wished to be buried in the shrine located on his farm here in Stardew. You are, of course, absolutely welcomed back to attend should you have the time. I believe we will be holding the ceremony this afternoon.”_ She looked down to the floor, she would have to miss it; she couldn’t call out of work. “Oh, well thank you so much for letting me know.” She replied, halfheartedly. “I would have loved to attend, but I have to work. But I trust he’s in good hands. You have a good rest, and a better day, Dr. Harvey.”

_“Don’t you worry, ma’am. I’ll take good care of him. You have a better day as well, Ms. Kira.”_ He hung up the phone. Kira checked the time; the clock read 7:20. She finished her hair by tying it back into a decently professional ponytail, applied some eyeliner and lipstick and headed out of the door to her job. “ _Maybe everything will get better soon.”_ She thought as she drove toward the heart of Zuzu City.


	2. Chapter 2

Kira sat at her desk; she was bored out of her mind. It felt as though the “work” light had been blinking forever. She didn’t have any work to do at the moment; no calls, no files to send, no accounts to review or emails to forward. She rested her head in her hands, staring at the blinking light telling her to work, almost willing it to change to “rest”. After a few minutes, she just looked back down at her desk. She felt defeated; she thought back.

She never thought too much about the envelope he’d given her, as she’d hoped to move further within Joja Corp. Here she was now; 5 years later, same position. She was 26 and she was still sitting behind a desk with a light to dictate when she works and rests. She still had no friends, unless you count Soulless Worker #14 that sat at the desk in front of her and occasionally would ask her if she had any extra paper.

She wanted to scream. Why had she ever thought she would be content with an office job? Sure, it paid the bills, but she wasn’t happy. She was the loneliest she’d ever been, and there weren’t many options for dating. She groaned aloud; she felt as though she was wasting her life. _“Where did I put that damn letter?”_ she thought to herself. She racked her brain, thinking through the events of that day the best she could. She remembered placing it in her bag after she got it from her grandfather, so then she must have brought it to work afterwards. She rummaged through her work drawers and sure enough, the old envelope was sitting there under a few pages of work documents. She pulled the envelope out, not quite sure of what she was expecting. She admired the wax seal before opening it. She saw her grandfather’s writing:

“ _Dear Kira,_

_If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change._

_The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… Real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong._

_I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… My pride and joy: Hikaru Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life._

_This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my girl. Good luck._

_Love, Grandpa_

_P.S. If Lewis is still alive, say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?”_

She sat there in her chair, dumbstruck. He bequeathed her a farm and it took her 5 years to inherit it. Yes, he told her to wait, but had she known what was waiting for her, she would have opened it much sooner. Thoughts started racing through her head as she searched for a box or some sort of container in her cubicle. When she couldn’t find one, she called over to the cubicle in front of her, “Hey.” she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. “Hey, do you have a box or something?” He didn’t respond, but after a few seconds, he shoved a medium sized box out into the walkway. She quickly grabbed it and started clearing out her desk of important items.

Just as she was almost finished, a stuffy man in a black suit with small circular glasses happened to walk by. “Ahem…” he cleared his throat.

Kira looked at the man with a sort of disdain, “Sir?” she asked.

He drummed his fingers on the wall of her cubicle, “Oh, I was just wondering what you were doing, Employee number…” he lazily glanced at the number on the wall, “15? As, the light is still signaling for you to work, and you don’t appear to be… working.” Although he was smiling, there was a menacing feeling projecting from his eyes.

Kira smirked and looked him directly in the eye, “Why, sir. I’m packing up my items.”

His smile nearly faltered, but he caught himself and kept up his façade of niceties, “And why, pray tell, are you doing that?” he asked.

Getting slightly annoyed that he couldn’t, or perhaps wouldn’t, take a hint, she replied with a certain snarkiness, “Because, _sir_ , I quit.”

To this, his smile quickly turned to a look of shock, “Y-you quit?? You can’t just quit; you need this job! You _need_ Joja Corp.!”

As she grabbed the box of her belongings, she closed the short distance between them, locking eyes with him again, “Let me tell you something,” she glanced at his name tag, “ _Morris_. I don’t _need_ anything. Especially not from some mediocre, at best, company that cares nothing for their employees. Now move, or I’ll move you.”

He stood aside, appalled by her behavior, “Resorting to violence, really? How you were a Joja Corp. employee is beyond me. Fine, leave. But don’t come trying to crawl back to Joja Corp. when you have nothing.” As she walked past, she bumped his shoulder intentionally, and chuckled when he scoffed. She walked right out of the doors and when the rays of sunlight fell on her, she felt free.

She’d fallen into a fit of laughter by the time she reached her car. As she was driving home, she couldn’t believe how she had acted to that man, though she felt he had deserved it. Now she had to pack up the rest of her house, not that there was much to pack. If she was going to a farm, she wouldn’t need really anything she had, and her grandfather had said he dropped everything. She decided to sell everything, buy the proper tools, and start fresh with what she had left over.

When she arrived at her house, she changed into a black tank top, a pair of dark wash blue skinny jeans and her boots. She took a look over her house; she would have to collect anything worth value and sell it. She started on packing up her items and thought of how life would be on the farm. No menial job, no one to report to, just honest hard work that she could be proud of.

She packed up everything she was selling in a matter of hours and drove it down to a local shop. After selling her items, she purchased all the tools she figured she would need on a farm and had 500g left over. She drove back to her house for the last time to gather up what little there was left and called her landlord and this Lewis, if she could get ahold of him, to make her final arrangements. She would be breaking her lease, but that didn’t really matter to her. She was starting a new chapter and she didn’t want to look back. For once, it felt like everything was falling into place.

***

Part of leaving everything behind meant selling her car as well; so she had to take the bus to Stardew Valley. As the minutes ticked by, she felt nervous. Thoughts of if she truly belonged there like her grandfather started creeping into the back of her mind. Her anxiety formed a pit in her stomach, she hadn’t felt this nervous in quite some time. _“Just breathe, Kira.”_ She thought. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly and repeated this action a few times until she felt at ease again. If she psyched herself out too much, she would never make it to the farm. Then she really would have nothing.

Just as the hour was coming to an end, the bus started to slow a little as it entered a tunnel. Kira sat up and adjusted herself in her seat as the exit of the tunnel approached and the bus steadily came to a stop. The driver spoke over the intercom, “ _Passengers, we have arrived at our destination: Stardew Valley. Please gather your belongings.”_ She wasn’t sure why he spoke over the intercom, as she was the only passenger on this trip, but she did as he said.

The bus doors opened to a small, vividly green field; there was a woman with auburn hair there as well. Kira stepped off of the bus and approached the woman. She had a pleasant smile, “Hello, you must be Kira! I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis told me that you should be arriving right about now. He asked me to show you the way to your new home. If you follow me, he should actually still be there cleaning it up for you!” She seemed very enthusiastic.

“Thank you.” Kira responded kindly, “Please, lead the way.”

Robin nodded and turned toward the fencing. Kira followed her, this time turning right at the fence towards her grandfather’s farm that she hadn’t seen since she was a child. As they kept walking, they came to a ran down plot of land. There were rocks and weeds everywhere, not to mention a dilapidated building and trees located in some of the most inconvenient areas. “This is Hikaru Farm.” Robin said, a tinge of sadness to her voice. Kira’s stress level skyrocketed; all of this, plus the cabin, was hers. She had to manage this all by herself. She felt like she was going to have a heart attack.

Robin giggled a little, any sadness that was earlier detected had now dissipated, “What’s wrong? Sure, it overgrown, but I’m sure this will be nothing for someone as young as you! Besides, there’s plenty of good soil here, you just have to work for it.” She had the kind of smile that made Kira think that maybe it would be okay.

She beamed back at Robin, “You’re right! This will be a piece of cake!”

They shared a quick laugh before Robin led her to the stairs of the cabin, “Well, here we are. Your new home!”

Kira marveled at the cabin. To anyone else, it may have just been an old, worn down cabin; but it housed so many childhood memories for her. Just as her thoughts began to wander, an older man walked out. He looked up, a quick look of surprise flashed across his face, but it changed to a welcoming smile, “Ah! The new farmer! Kira, right? I’m Mayor Lewis, we spoke briefly on the phone before your arrival! You know, it’s not every day that someone moves into our little Pelican Town.” His smile was almost like that of her grandfathers; he gazed at the little cabin, “So you’re moving into your grandfathers old place… It’s nice, if not a bit… ‘rustic’.”

Robin laughed, “That’s one way of putting it! I would say it’s more crusty!”

Mayor Lewis sharply gasped, “ _Rude!_ ” Robin fell into a fit of laughter as Lewis grumbled. “Don’t let her dissuade you, Kira. She just trying to sell you her housing upgrades.” Kira raised an eyebrow in curiosity, upgrades did sound quite interesting. Robin was doing some mumbling of her own after Mayor Lewis called her out. He cleared his throat, “Anyway, you must be tired from travelling. You should take the day and rest. Tomorrow, I recommend exploring the town and maybe introducing yourself to other townsfolk.” He began to walk away, but stopped and turned, “Oh, by the way, this box right here is the nightly drop box. If you have anything you want to sell after the shops close, just drop it in here and I’ll come by to collect it.”

With that both Mayor Lewis and Robin said their goodbyes and walked off towards town and Kira walked into the cabin. It was like she traveled back in time; almost everything was exactly the way it used to be. The bed in the bottom corner, a little tv and rug, and a cozy fireplace. A small window in the back allowed for some light to come in, but the sun was setting, and it would be dark soon. All she had to change into was a small pair of cloth shorts and an oversized t-shirt, but it was fine, as she was once again alone. No one else in town had even known she was here yet, considering how last minute everything was.

She sat down cross-legged on the rug in front of the tv, checking the weather for tomorrow. “ _Tomorrow is going to be a bright, sunny day!”_ she heard the weatherman say as she zoned out for a bit. She thought back to her time as a child, when her parents would bring her here for holidays and her birthdays. When her mother would walk her through various crops her grandfather was growing that season. When her father and grandfather would take her fishing at the beach for hours on end and she would be carried home in her grandfather’s arms. She vaguely remembered playing with the other kids in town occasionally, though she couldn’t recall their names for the life of her.

Hours passed as she reminisced and watched random snippets of whatever was on at the time until she heard an odd sound. She subtly turned the volume down a bit and listened closely. It was dark outside, so she couldn’t just take a peek out of her door. She heard what sounded like footsteps. She tried to brush it off as Mayor Lewis checking the box, until the footsteps came to her stairs, took a few steps up, and stopped. She was worried, wondering who would come and stand at her door at this hour. She mustered up the courage and decided to open the front and see who was there.

She quietly cracked the door open, peeking through the opening. Whoever was there had their back turned. She slowly opened the door a little more, “Umm… Excuse me?” The figure jumped, spinning around to face her. She was met with a somewhat familiar pale face and dark hair, though she couldn’t place the familiarity. He was wearing a black hoodie, black jeans, and black boots. “Yoba, you scared the hell out of me!” He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath while picking up the cigarette he’d dropped.

She furrowed her brow, “Well, you scared me first. Who just comes onto other people’s property this late at night?”

He had a quizzical look on his face, “Property?” He assessed the woman, only then realizing what she was wearing. He covered the bottom half of his face with his hand to hide the blush forming on his cheeks. “O-oh. I take it you’re the new farmer, then? I’m Sebastian, and your name is…?” he asked, averting his gaze. Kira was confused for a second, then remembered her outfit and quickly stood behind the door, pink just barely starting to dust her cheeks.

“My name is Kira.” She said quickly, trying to cover the embarrassment in her voice, “Kira Hikaru.”

“Kira…” he mused, then he looked her in the eyes, “Hikaru? Oh, like the old man!” he exclaimed.

Kira looked down, “Yeah… He was my grandfather.”

Sebastian’s half-smile faded, “Of course, obviously! Yoba, I am so sorry!” he started to panic. He wasn’t expecting to encounter anyone at the farm. Now he was worried that he just stirred up painful memories of the new resident. Of course, he knew someone was coming, but he didn’t think it would be so soon. He started thinking of ways to get out of the conversation.

“Well, it’s getting kind of late, so I’ll go ahead and leave. I’ll, uhm, see you around, I guess. But, you know, not on your porch in the middle of the night.” He left as quickly as he came, and Kira was left dumbstruck. She hadn’t expected him to leave so abruptly; she wondered if it was something she said.

She closed the door and headed toward the bed. “Sebastian…” she spoke aloud. He seemed nice enough, if not painfully awkward in social situations. She would have to try and find him tomorrow and properly meet him, as opposed to their exchange tonight.

As she laid in bed, her thoughts lingered on having to meet everyone; another pit began to form in her stomach. She was never very good at meeting new people. She wasn’t even really sure where to start. While Pelican Town was small, there were still plenty of people around from what she gathered. She also had to consider where to start with the farm; she would have to clear out a good spot in the fields to start some crops. There was so much she needed to do, but she had all the time she could ask for and more. Her thoughts started to drift as she fell into a restful sleep; although she was nervous, she’d never felt more content with a decision.

***

Light spilled into the room, shining on Kira’s face; she awoke, lying in bed for a few minutes. She looked over and noticed a small package on her floor. She got out of bed and checked her phone first. It was just barely 6:05 am; she would definitely have to get used to this. She inspected the package to find it was a bunch of parsnips seeds left for her by Mayor Lewis. She stretched and got changed; she needed to get some new clothes soon. She started to think that maybe leaving quite literally _everything_ behind wasn’t the greatest idea, but it was alright. She exited the cabin and went to work in the field.

Kira worked for an hour or so clearing out the stones and weeds that had overrun the farm grounds. She broke down another stone and stood up straight, wiping the sweat from her brow. She looked around, appraising the work she had done. She wasn’t anywhere near finished, but she did have a nice spot to till and start some crops. As she looked to her right, she’d noticed a shrine on the property.

She made her way over to the shrine and stood in front of it, realizing that this was her grandfather’s. Tears started to prick the corners of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. As she did, she noticed a small piece paper sitting on a far corner of the shrine. She went over and picked it up, but it only read:

“ _Wait for my return at the dawn of your third year._ ”

She scrunched her face in confusion as she wondered what it meant exactly. Although she knew the farm would get its occasional visitor when no one was here, she couldn’t think of anyone leaving this kind of note, least of all on her grandfather’s shrine. But that meant that the only person who could have left it would have been her grandfather himself. She began thinking of plausible explanations, but, besides the obvious that was already written on the note, she had nothing. She stuffed the note into her pocket, admired the shrine once again, and walked away.

Kira headed into town. It was 9:30 am, so the shop would be open by now. She spotted a message board just past the clinic and checked the calendar; it was just the first of Spring. There were a number of birthdays scattered throughout the season, though the only familiar name was Lewis. Kira also took note of the egg festival and flower dance, then headed into the store named Pierre’s.

She stepped into a pleasant atmosphere and was greeted by a man standing behind the counter, “Hey, you’re Ms. Kira, right? The new farmer! My name is Pierre, I own this little general store. If you need seeds, I’m the store for you! I’ll also be willing to buy any produce you grow or happen to forage for a good price! I’m telling you; a little agriculture is just what the Valley needs to bring back some life into this economy.”

She was almost overwhelmed by the ecstatic welcome, but she composed herself and beamed at Pierre. “Yes, that’s correct! I’m Kira. It's such a pleasure to meet you, Pierre! I may not be my grandfather, but I plan on giving this my everything!” He studied her for a second, as if trying to get a read on who she was and then gave her a pleasant smile.

They exchanged a short conversation as Kira bought few seeds of different crops. “You know, my daughter typically comes out to help around the store around 10:30 if you wanted a chance to meet her. Her name is Abigail; she has purple hair, so she’s pretty hard to miss! I know you must be pretty busy right now, but, please, feel free to stop by anytime.” Pierre grinned as he handed Kira her purchase.

“Thank you, so much, Pierre! I’ll definitely be back!” Kira said as she turned to leave. Walking away, she waved to Pierre and headed out of the door. It was only 10 am, so she decided to head back to the farm to plant the seeds and then head out to explore Pelican Town. As she walked back toward the farm, she’d noticed a few people around town. She would have to double back around to meet them properly.

As she planted the seeds into the tilled soil, her thoughts started wandering back to the night before. She was very curious about this Sebastian. The name had triggered something in her brain, and his face had a familiarity to it as well. She tried thinking back to when she was younger, mostly to when she would play with the other kids in town. She remembered a girl with chestnut brown hair that was kind of weird, a blond boy that was always talking if he wasn’t playing a video game, and… A quiet boy with black hair and pale skin.

She snapped up straight at the realization, shocked at how he’d grown. Sure, he didn’t have muscles on muscles, but from what she had seen, he had become quite attractive. She felt her heart flutter a little, which she tried to shoo away to no avail. Why did she feel this way? She had only really met him last night. She wondered if maybe he had remembered her; that would possibly explain why he left so abruptly.

She finished sowing her seeds and admired her work. Satisfied with the work she had done; she went to the cabin to freshen up a little and set off towards the town. Only a couple of hours had passed since she’d started planting, so the afternoon had just begun. She wondered where she should start; there was Pierre’s store, the clinic, a small tavern, and a few houses scattered about. She decided to stop in at the clinic; perhaps she would see Dr. Harvey again, this time under much better circumstances.

As she walked in, the setting was all too familiar, almost painfully, but she walked in regardless. To her dismay though, the clinic appeared to be empty. “Hello?” she called out, but no one came. She was somewhat disappointed; she was hoping to see a familiar face, but she figured she would end up seeing him around at some point. She took her leave from the clinic and took a deep, shaky breath. Although she could tolerate clinics, her anxiety made it difficult to stay for very long. She could hardly make it through a regular check up without having a panic attack; doctors have tried to help before, but she didn’t ever want to admit anything, as she thought it made her seem weak.

Sighing, she looked out to the plaza wondering where to go next. She could go back to Pierre’s and chance meeting Abigail, but she didn’t really feel like she could stand acting “happy-go-lucky” again. She always found it exhausting to put on a smile to prolonged periods. Maybe she could see where Robin lives; she didn’t know what it was, but she felt she could be easy going around her. She checked a little map of the town and spotted her house in the upper right area.

She set off towards Robin’s, trying to think of what to talk about. She could ask her about Sebastian, see if she could tell her who he is. But that would be kind of weird to talk about, she thought. As she approached the decently sized house, she noted a telescope off to the side. She wondered whose it could be. Sure, it could be Robin’s, but she didn’t take her for much of a stargazer.

She entered the house after knocking, and saw Robin standing behind a counter. She looked up from reading some type of document and smiled, “Oh, good afternoon, Kira! How are you doing today?”

Her voice was gentle and kind, Kira found it comforting, “I’m doing great, thanks; and you?”

Robin cheerfully responded, “Wonderful! Have you had the chance to meet everyone in town? That sounds exhausting.”

Kira shook her head, laughing, “No, not quite yet. I’m really not even sure where to start. I guess that’s why I came by.”

Robin’s face lit up, “Oh! Well this is perfect timing! You can meet my husband, Demetrius, and my daughter, Maru! They’re just off to your right in the lab.”

Kira nodded, “Thanks Robin.”

Robin smiled again, “Anytime. I would say you could meet my son, but he’s usually locked up in his room. He says he’s working, but I’m just worried about him, you know?”

“I understand your worries. And it’s alright, I’m sure I’ll meet him soon. What’s his name?” Kira asked.

“My sons name is Sebastian.” Robin stated.

Kira’s heart skipped a beat, “ _He’s her son?!_ ” she thought. Not wanting to explain how she’d already met him, she pretended to make a mental note. Her voice was slightly raised in pitch, “Sebastian… got it!”

Robin’s face had a pondering look to it, “You know, he usually leaves the house every evening for a few hours to smoke over by the lake. As much as I hate the habit, that may be your chance to meet him.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that. Again, thanks, Robin.” Kira walked down to the lab, and saw a young woman, who she assumed was Maru, and an older gentleman, who could only be Demetrius.

Demetrius had peeked up from his microscope at the sound of Kira’s footsteps, “Hello,” he started, “How can I help you?”

She took a deep breath, “Hello, my name is Kira. I just move here to Pelican Town and came by to meet you both.”

He walked toward Kira and extended his hand, “Ah, greetings! I’m Demetrius, local scientist and father. I study the local plants and animals in the Valley here. This here is my daughter, Maru. She helps me here in the lab sometimes. She’s a good kid.”

Maru rolled her eyes and chuckled, “Oh, stop it, dad.”

He smiled lovingly at her, “Well it’s true. I have to brag about you to everyone!”

She shook her head, still laughing, and extended her hand to Kira as well, “You’re the new farmer, aren’t you?” she asked, to which Kira nodded. “I’m Maru. I’ve been excited to meet you! A new face is always refreshing, especially in this little town.” 

Kira and the two exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes. She then glanced behind them, taking a look at the equipment and materials on the counters, “Well, I think I’ll take my leave and stop distracting you two now. It was great to meet you both!” she said nicely. Demetrius and Maru then waved Kira off as she left.

As she passed a staircase leading down, she sneaked a quick look down, noticing a small sign that simply said, “Do Not Enter”. She summed up that it must be Sebastian’s room. She wondered what he could be doing but kept walking; Robin had said he was working, so she didn’t want to disturb him after their awkward late-night introduction. Maybe she would take the chance to properly meet him this evening. She bade farewell to Robin as she left and was back outside.

Breathing in the fresh air, she decided to stop by that tavern; the map said it was called Stardrop Saloon. It was a few minutes after 1 pm, so she figured it would be open now. As she headed that way, she stayed close to the lake. She approached the central area and saw a young woman with purple hair standing on a bridge to her left. She was fairly certain that was Abigail, so she took the opportunity to introduce herself.

As Kira approached Abigail, Abigail glanced over at her; a look of curiosity plastered on her face, which quickly turned to big grin, “That’s right! I heard there was going to be a new farmer! A bit of a shame though, I loved exploring those old fields alone.” She came on strong, but it was nothing Kira wasn’t accustomed to.

Kira put on a decent smile, “Nice to meet you! Abigail, right? My name is Kira. And I don’t mind if you want to keep exploring, don’t let me stop you from enjoying yourself.”

There was a little sparkle in Abigail’s eye, “Really?! You’d let me still explore? Oh, that’s so cool! Thanks!” She was practically jumping for joy, Kira just chuckled. Abigail regained her composer, and studied Kira for a second, “Wait a minute…” she spoke softly, then her eyes widened, “I know you! I knew you seemed familiar! You’re the old farmers granddaughter! We used to play together occasionally when you and your parents would visit! You probably don’t recognize me because of my hair, my natural color is a chestnut brown.” There was a hopeful glimmer behind Kira’s eyes, if she was the little girl, did that mean she knew Sebastian well?

“Oh!” Kira exclaimed, “I remember you as well! I haven’t been back to Stardew in quite a while. But, I’m here for good now. Is there anyone you can point me to next to meet? I’m trying to get to know everyone town.” She asked.

Abigail had a thoughtful look, “Well I’m sure you’ve met my dad; he owns the shop. There’s my mom, her name is Caroline; she has green hair. Then there’s my friends. Sam is a guitarist, so he’s usually in his room if he’s not working over here at the Joja Mart.” She scoffed, “He has blond hair that’s always crazy spikey, but he doesn’t get off until 4. And there’s Sebastian. He always wears black, but he’s pretty shy so he doesn’t really leave his room. He comes to hang out with Sam and me on Fridays at the Saloon though.”

Kira figured her next best bet would be to find Sam, who may or may not remember her as well, but he was more than likely working so she would have to find some way to occupy her time for a few hours. She thanked Abigail for the advice, “Thanks so much for your help, Abigail.”

Abigail waved off the thanks, “No problem, man! I’ll see you around!” She gave her another big grin before Kira walked off. Now that she knew a few more names, it would be slightly easier to greet everyone.

She approached the saloon and entered, “Well, hello there!” a hearty voiced greeted her. She saw a man standing behind the counter polishing a beer mug; he had a modest smile under a great mustache. “I’m Gus, chef and owner of this Stardrop Saloon. If you ever need a drink, stop on by and I’ll take care of you! The coffee’s always hot and the beer’s always cold!” he laughed with gusto.

Kira approached the counter, “Pleasure to meet you, Gus. I’m Kira, the new farmer. You know, a coffee sounds great.”

He nodded and prepared her coffee and the aroma permeated the air. It smelled heavenly to Kira; it had been a long time since she had smelled quality coffee. As she sat at the bar, she had almost slipped into a daydream until Gus gently placed her mug in front of her.

“You know, I remember you visiting with your parents when you were younger. You were always so headstrong and ambitious. It was a terrible shame to hear about your parents. Your grandfather never deserved to carry that grief. He was always kind and generous.” Kira started thinking back to the night she lost her parents. She hadn’t spoken to anyone about it.

She was silent for a moment before clearing her throat, “Can I ask you something Gus?” He gestured for her to go ahead. “How do I know I was meant for this? My grandfather was loved throughout this town, and he was an amazing farmer. I know it’s just growing crops and selling them, but how do I know I didn’t give up everything for no reason?”

Gus set down the mug he was polishing and looked her in the eyes with a small smile, “You don’t. You probably won’t know for a while. But if this is the right path, one day something will happen. Something that will be your surefire sign that it was worth it. Don’t worry about trying to live up to your grandfather because you will write your own story.” He pat the back of her hand softly; an encouraging was look on his face. “Besides, I don’t think your following in your grandfather’s footsteps would ever lead you astray.”

“Thank you, Gus. I’ve been so worried about living in his shadow. I’m just so out of my comfort zone, I’ve never really done anything like this. I can’t help but question if I made the right choice.” She finished off the coffee she had been sipping on, and Gus took the mug and put it away to be cleaned. Kira hemmed, “Sorry about springing that on you. I normally don’t talk that much about my worries.”

He laughed, “It’s no problem at all, my girl! If you ever need friendly advice or a person to vent to, come on by. I’ll be here to lend an ear!” Kira was thankful to have made such an acquaintance, though it would do to make some more friends closer to her age. Not the she minded having older friends, that was no issue; she’d just never really had this much freedom to herself since working with Joja.

“Hey, where would you recommend that I check out next? I’m exploring the town and trying to get to know everyone.” She asked.

He pondered the question for a moment, “Hmm, I would say you should head over to the museum and meet Gunther. You may run into Penny and the kids there too! And if you head that way, you should say hello to the blacksmith, Clint, as well.”

He showed her on the map that the blacksmith was just north of the museum, and with that she set out. “Thanks again, Gus! I’ll be sure to come again.” She waved and walked out of the door, stepping down the stairs outside.

She made her way over to the museum and met with Gunther. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am. This here’s the Pelican Town museum, though we don’t have any of the artifacts it used to have due to the last curator making off with them…” he said, his words trailing off.

“That’s horrible!” Kira exclaimed, “I’ll just have to see what I can do about that. We can’t very well have a museum with nothing to showcase. If I find anything worthwhile, I’ll be sure to bring it here!”

Gunther tipped his hat to her, “That would be much obliged, ma’am. In the meantime, please feel free to take a look through the books we have.” As she started to walk toward the books, she heard a few voices that sounded young.

She took a peek around a bookcase and spotted two children and a young, red haired woman. She appeared to be reading to them and the boy kept asking questions, to which the little girl would tell him to be quiet and listen. The woman had looked up from the book and told the girl that it was alright, but then she noticed Kira looking at them. “Umm… Hello? Can I help you?” she asked timidly.

Kira was a little flustered, “Oh. Uhh… It’s nothing very important. I was just- I’m new in town. I’m just trying to meet everyone, but I saw you with these two and I didn’t want to disturb you. I was just about to-“

“Mom says not to talk to strangers!” the little boy stated firmly.

The woman scowled at him, “Now Vincent, you know it’s rude to interrupt people. If you let her finish, I’m sure she was about to introduce herself. She wouldn’t be a stranger then, now would she?” He looked down and nodded solemnly; the little girl just sat quietly, not saying a word. “I’m sorry about that…” She paused, looking for a name.

“Kira. My name is Kira, sorry.” Kira said.

The woman smiled, “Ah, Kira. Well, I’m Penny. You’ve met Vincent, and this one is Jas. We’re actually in the middle of a lesson, but maybe we’ll see you around later.”

Kira nodded, “Of course, I’ll leave you to it! You all have a great day.” She left the museum with that, feeling a little awkward after that encounter. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and turn to walk to the blacksmith. It was kind of small, but nothing to scoff at. Kira didn’t know anything about smithing, so she was glad there was someone with the knowledge in town. The wooden tools she had were okay, but she would certainly need to upgrade her items as time passed.

She walked inside and saw an average looking man. He seemed bored, looking up when Kira entered. “Welcome. Please upgrade your tools if you need. Yoba knows I need the gold.” He murmured out.

Kira spoke up, “Hello… I’ll definitely be visiting frequently. You’re Clint, right?”

He stood up straight, stretching, “Yeah, that’s me. Only blacksmith in town and I somehow still don’t get many customers.” Kira began to think it may have something to do with his attitude, but she disregarded the thought.

“I’m sure business will pick up soon.” She flashed him a smile, which he did not reciprocate. She hesitated a moment, “Well… My name is Kira. I’m the new farmer.”

He raised his eyebrows but had a look that told her he didn’t care. “Yeah, mayor told us someone was coming…” he coughed and began to look uncomfortable, “Umm… Well if you find any ore or geodes or anything, just bring them here. I’ll break geodes for you for a fee and I’ll buy ore from you so…” She could tell he didn’t really want her there, so she decided to leave him be.

“Alright, I’ll remember that.” she said politely. She gave him a small wave to which he nodded back.

Exiting the blacksmiths, she checked the time; it was almost 4 pm. She decided to head up toward the Joja Mart. She wasn’t going to go in; she didn’t really want anything to do with Joja anymore, but she would try to chance running into Sam outside. She walked along the unused mine cart tracks north and saw a little bench and trash can, then the Joja Mart. She sat on the bench for a few minutes, looking through her phone to pass time.

She looked up when she heard the doors open, and young man with some very gelled up blond hair was standing to the side of the doors removing his Joja jacket. He seemed to be jamming to some music, as he didn’t even notice Kira approaching.

“Uhh… Hello? Sam?” she said with a raised voice. She must have been loud enough; Sam glanced over.

He removed his earbuds when he noticed her, “Oh! Hey there! Sorry about that, I just got off work, so you know…” he explained, somewhat embarrassed, “But… I don’t think I know you. Do I?”

“Well, I think we may have played together as children, but I haven’t been to Stardew Valley in quite a while until now. My name is Kira, you may have heard of me. I just moved here.” She explained politely.

His eyes brightened, “I do know you! Yeah, Lewis told us you were coming. You’re the old farmer’s granddaughter, right?”

Kira tapped her finger to her nose, “Bingo! Yep, that’s me. Abigail told me that you worked here and got off about now, so I decided to come by and see if you remembered me.”

He started laughing, “It may have taken me a minute to remember, but I definitely didn’t forget you! Man, it’s been so long. How have you been? Why did you decide to come back to little Pelican Town?” he asked.

Kira shifted, “That’s… It’s a bit of a long story. I guess to sum it up, I wanted to get away from the city. Too many bad memories. At least here, although my grandpa passed here, I still have so many positive memories. It felt… right. You know?”

He nodded, “Yeah, I understand. It’s funny. You came here to get away from the bustle of the city, but my buddy Seb wants to get away from this boring town. Well, if he does end up leaving, at least I have a new friend!” He grinned wide, “I should probably be heading home now. Got to go practice my guitar playing.”

With that, he grabbed his skateboard and skated over the bridge away, waving back at Kira. After everything she’d done today, she figured if would do her good to head to her house for a few hours and watch some tv. She made her way across the plaza and past the bus stop back to the farm. Entering the cabin, she kicked off her boots and stretched. She sat down on the ground in front the tv, considering buying more furniture for her home. Pressing the power button, she changed the channel from the weather which put “Queen of Sauce” on. Kira took note of the sashimi recipe that she was teaching, then promptly zoned out.

***

Kira woke from her nap, the tv was still on. She checked her phone; it was a little after 7 pm. She was glad that she woke when she did, she may just catch Sebastian and be able to actually talk. She yawned, ran her fingers through her hair quickly, and got up, slipping her boots on. She made sure to switch the tv off and swiftly walked outside. She remembered Robin said he would go smoke out by the lake, assumingly the one by their house. She set off toward the path to the north; if the map was correct, this way would be a tad faster.

She arrived at an elevated space of land above Robin’s house. She noticed a tent with an older looking man but decided to pay him no heed tonight. Instead, she walked down the steps and turned to look toward the lake. She saw his figure standing at the edge of the lake and set off towards him, somewhat nervously.

She thought of what she would say, she didn’t want to make him feel weird. There were the obvious things: proper introduction, ask about him, _don’t be weird_. She wasn’t very good at that last one usually. Plus, with how she felt about him, she didn’t really know how she would even act. It was strange, she remembered having guys like her when she was in school, but she didn’t date anyone. When she thought about it, she’d never really felt like this before. She just wanted to be his friend to start; she needed to know she could trust him. Besides, why would anyone want to date a wreck like her? Everyone she loves dies.

As she approached him, he turned at the sound of her footsteps. He was surprised; he wasn’t expecting to see her. He took a drag off what appeared to be a cigarette to Kira and blew the smoke through his nose; she thought the smoke smelled strange.

“Oh… Hey. What are you doing here?” he asked.

Kira rubbed her arm nervously, “Ah, well, I wanted to meet you properly, and, well, your mom said you would probably be here, so I decided to give it a try.” She mentally kicked herself at her rambling; she wondered if he could tell how red her face was.

“Really? You wanted to meet me?” he took another puff, then held it out to Kira, offering it to her.

She was slightly perplexed; she’d never smoked a cigarette, but she knew well enough that most smokers didn’t just share their own.

He saw the face she made and made a sudden realization, “Oh, you don’t smoke do you?” She shook her head and he gave a small laugh, “I normally smoke cigarettes, but this is nice too.”

“So, you smoke weed?” she asked.

He took another hit, “Yeah, on a pretty regular basis. It’s one of the only things that keeps me sane here. I just don’t get it. Why did you move to Pelican Town?”

She was taken aback at his question, but thought about it, “Well… When my grandfather died, he, unbeknownst to me, bequeathed the whole farm to me. He gave me a letter but told me to not open it until I’m ‘crushed by the burden of modern life.’ Only when I felt that way should I open the letter. Years passed, and I was still working the same boring job at Joja Corp. in the _big city_.”

They were both sitting down on the edge of the lake now, Sebastian listening intently. “That’s when I finally opened that envelope and I made the choice to leave everything behind just like him and start a new life here. After everything I’ve been through, I suppose he felt I deserved this opportunity.” They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before she broke it once more, “Actually… do you mind… if I take a hit?” He stifled a small laugh and nodded, offering Kira the joint. She held it like she saw people hold a cigarette, brought it to her lips and inhaled.

“Hold it in for just a few seconds if you can.” Sebastian instructed. She did as she was told, then exhaled kind of roughly and started coughing. “Woah catch your breath. You’re okay.” Sebastian said soothingly, patting her back lightly. “Are you good?” he asked. Kira nodded, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

Her breathing started to calm down and she inhaled deeply. “That’s embarrassing…” she croaked out.

He laughed a little harder this time, “Aw, it’s alright. Everyone coughs their first time. At least, I did.” He smiled sweetly, and she felt like she could melt.

She pulled herself together, “So, tell me about you. I met Sam today, he said he want to leave Pelican Town? Since you asked why I came, I want to ask why you want to leave.”

His face had taken a sullen expression as he looked out over the lake, “I remembered who you were last night, you know? I know what you mean when you said you felt the old man thought you deserved to have the farm. I remember the day he heard about your parents…” Kira tensed up. She didn’t want to talk about her parents. “Sorry to mention that…” He said. He handed Kira the joint again, “My point was, you had someone looking out for you. He made sure you’d be okay here. I don’t have that. My dad left and then my mom went and married Demetrius and had Maru and…” he trailed off.

Kira only coughed a little this time and handed the joint back, “And she stopped paying attention?” she asked softly.

“Yeah…” he replied, looking down. “Not only that, but… They’re just so damn proud of Maru. All because she’s apparently a genius or something. She gets everything she needs to get her work done and I can’t even get any damn privacy to take care of _my_ work all because it’s ‘not a real job.’ And Demetrius is the worst, he doesn’t even act like I’m apart of the family…” he stopped himself and looked over, “How are you feeling by the way?”

Kira had a stupid grin on her face at his question. She started giggling, she didn’t know how to describe how she felt. “Sorry, sorry, it’s not that that’s funny! I’m just feeling really good.” She responded, giggling a little more.

“So, now I know you’re a giggler.” He laughed endearingly. She loved the sound of his laugh; she’d never been more glad to have met a person than she was now. He moved a little closer to Kira, “I’ll walk you home, if you want, whenever you’re ready by the way. No rush… Just wanted to let you know.”

She nodded at the statement and she looked over to him, “I hope you don’t leave. I really like you.”

Sebastian blushed; had she really just said that? Either the high made her more courageous, or just stupid; but weren’t they the same thing, really? She covered her face, “I am _so_ sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I don’t know why I did. I-“

“Hey!” Sebastian stopped her, putting a hand on hers and uncovering her face, “It’s alright. It was kind of cute.” He smiled.

Her face turned a bright red, “Um, well, thanks? I think?” she started rambling more until Sebastian just started laughing again. They sat there for another few minutes before they both stood and stretched. “Well I think I should probably be heading back.” Kira stated, “Does your offer still stand?”

He smiled at her, “Of course it does. Lead the way.” He held out his hand, which she took, timidly. She started walked with Sebastian in tow. “So, you never abandoned the farm…” he said quietly.

“What?” she asked.

He looked at her sheepishly as they walked onto the farmland, “Everyone kind of thought you just left this place to rot, for lack of better term. But you didn’t even know. How could we just assume that?”

She smiled, “It’s okay. I don’t take it to heart. Just like me, none of you could have known, except maybe Mayor Lewis… But everyone has been so welcoming so far. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to live.” They arrived at the steps in front of her cabin; she motioned for him to sit. As they did, he pulled out a normal cigarette and lit it, “Would you like one?’ he asked, holding the pack open to her. She declined, weed was one thing, but she’d never wanted to smoke a cigarette.

He replaced the pack in his pocket and blew the smoke out into the sky. “I’m glad you came by to see me. It’s been good to talk to someone. I have Sam and Abigail, but I don’t know. I feel like they just don’t get it. With you, I feel like you understand. Because you want the same as me, right; to find your purpose? But how does anyone do that? And how do you know once you have?”

She stared silently at the twinkling stars and the corners of her lips curled slightly, “You don’t know.” She said. “But one day, everything will be different. Better. And that’s how you’ll know that whatever you did was worth it.”

She looked over at him and saw him staring at her, a funny, although cute, expression was on his face. He snapped back to reality and snuffed out his cigarette, “Thanks Kira… It’s been nice talking to you.” He said.

He stood to leave but Kira stopped him, “Wait!”

He turned to look at her with a questioning look on his face, “Yes?” he replied.

“I was just wondering if I could get your number?” she asked; her face was beet red, “You know, I don’t really have a lot of people to talk to, but I’ve enjoyed my time with you… So, I thought I’d ask.” She whispered.

He gave a small laugh and came close to her, his hand held out, “Of course. Let me see, I’ll put it in for you.” He typed in his contact information somewhat slowly as to be able to spend just a few more moments with her. She relished the moment and stood there mesmerized; he was close enough that she could smell him. His scent was that of pine and nicotine. Although the nicotine smell was overpowering, the faint pine was pleasant. “Here you go.” Her thoughts were interrupted.

She took her phone back and looked up to his eyes, they shined a beautiful violet in the moonlight, “Well, I suppose this is good night…” she said.

Sebastian tucked a piece of hair that found its way in front of Kira’s face behind her ear but withdrew his hand quickly. “Sorry,” he said, “I couldn’t tell you why I did that.” He was blushing.

“That’s okay,” she smiled, “because I can’t tell why I did this.” She leaned forward a bit and kissed his cheek lightly. He had a look of surprise as she stepped back, “Thank you for being so kind to me. I know we may have started off a little weird, but I’m glad to have a friend like you. Good night, Sebastian.” She began to walk inside as he managed to say good night back.

Once inside, she stood on the other side of the door thinking of what just happened. She heard him walking away and wondered if she had maybe gone too far, though from the look of his face, she didn’t think so. She sent Sebastian a quick text letting him know it was her and she got ready for bed. She checked the weather; it was going to rain tomorrow, possibly starting early in the morning. She turned off the tv and slipped under the covers, falling quickly into a deep sleep.


End file.
